Sevarog the Jungle Monster

Summary (TL;DR)

Every Sevarog build should end with him as a tank. Sorry, not sorry. Too many builds on here have no armor or try to be hipster and cool with different cards. 

This build has damage, armor, health, and health regen. It even has some attack speed included, and it's a monster in the jungle, in a lane, and in the enemy's base.

Abilities Overview

Sevarog's abilities can be tricky and lack the flash of many other heroes. Your abilities are a toolbox, not an armory. You aren't a damage dealer, you aren't a CC specialist. You're an artist with a skill for every situation.

For your first 3 levels get Siphon > Subjugate > Phantom Rush > Colossal Blow

Once you have all 4, keep Siphon and Colossal Blow maxed out, with Subjugate close to max. Phantom Rush should not be upgraded until everything else is maxed out.

Early Game:

1. Focus on Siphon and getting Soul Stacks. This is VERY important. This is the ONLY skill you should use to farm. Conserve Mana. Last hitting red and blue buff bosses gives extra stacks.
2. For the first 5 levels you can kill anyone but DPS melee fighters (Kwang, Khaimera). Use Subjugate to hold any enemy dumb enough to push a lane early. Apply Hammer to face, profit.
3. You're going to lose 1v1 fights with DPS fighters. Sorry... Use Subjugate and Phantom Rush to escape 1v1 fights early on, especially in the jungle with no help.
4. Support. Supporting lanes is a role you HAVE to play as a jungler. Any time an enemy pushes a lane, pop up behind them, Subjugate them to the ground, and smash them on the head with your hammer until they run away.
5. Ganking. Any time the enemy gets close to your tower, pop out and Colossal Blow them into the tower. Watching them freak out and run from the tower is hilariously fun and a great way to get free kills.

Mid Game:

1. Siphon up those souls. You know the drill.
2. Colossal Blow will become very important in team fights. Your biggest role here will honestly be popping in to knock enemies away from injured teamates, and holding the lane while they heal up. It's not glamorous, but it wins matches.
3. Subjugate all the things. Any chance you get, hold down enemies and stop their progress. Your teamates will either get free damage, or they'll get to escape and live. 
4. Last hit enemies with Siphon wherever possible. This is so important to your late game
5. You're going to hate this but using Colossal Blow to clear minion waves rather than PvPing heroes is a thing. Colossal Blow one hits minions and it's a great last resort to save a tower.

Late Game:

1. Colossal Blow and Siphon everything that moves. All those Soul Stacks will come into play and you can use these skills to punch faces. Every tier 20 > 40 > 60 > 80 of soul stacks will buff up these skills.
2. Siphon all the minions and even your basic Hammer will deal massive damage to minion waves with it's AOE damage.
3. Hammer the towers. Your basic damage and attack speed make you a building busting monster. Destroy enemy harvesters to destroy enemy moral and force a surrender.

Abilities upgrade priority

>  > >

Early Game

Start with some health, some damage, and a key. A Jungle Drink is preferable but a Health Potion will work.

Jungle DrinkStrike TokenHarvester's Key

Upgrade ASAP to the Oasis Key as the HP and Lifesteal are vital to farming the Jungle. I like putting 2 x Lesser Drain for some quick lifesteal but you can use whatever you like. You want to use 9 CP total. Fully upgrading this is NOT needed until later. Save your points, this card is a passive and has no benefits to being completed.

Oasis Key - Lesser DrainLesser DrainBeta Heal

Next, Brawler's Ward. No exceptions, no whining. Do your team a favor and place these babies down in the jungle. Buff it up with 3x Strike over time to get some early game damage going.

Brawler's Ward - StrikeStrikeStrike

Mid Game

Armor. The essence of Sevarog. A must have if you don't want to die over and over to Murdoch and Sparrow.

Start off cheap. Buy Spiked Boneplate and Thorned Greenweave. Add 2x Minor Strike and a Minor Guard to the Spiked Boneplate but DON'T upgrade the Thorned Greenweave until later in the Mid-Game. There just aren't enough points yet. Do it whenever you feel comfortable spending the points.

(NOTE: Put Spiked Boneplate in an active slot 1-4. Very important or you won't be able to upgrade later.)

Spiked Boneplate - Minor StrikeMinor StrikeMinor Guard

Thorned Greenweave - BarrierBarrierBarrier

After armoring up and buffing your damage, the next priority is stamina. It's all about lasting longer (amiright?). Drink the Spirits turns you into Khaimera. For real. This little gem will give you a ton of HP regen while last-hitting minions and jungle diving. It's a must for any good Sevarog. Add on 3x Health over time. It's a passive card so maxing it out isn't important.

Drink the Spirits - HealthHealthHealth

Finish out the Mid Game by upgrading your armor some more. Focus on finishing your Thorned Greenweave from earlier. Then replace your Spiked Boneplate with some sweet, sexy, Polo Ralph Lauren undershirts. JK, buy Bloodsoaked Armor instead. Buy a Major Kinetic first. Then finish it out with 2x Guard when points are available. The extra attack speed will increase your damage output dramatically and will help your farming a LOT.

Bloodsoaked Armor - Major KineticGuardGuard

Late Game

Priority #1 is health. You have armor, you have damage, and you have beautiful flowing robes. Here you have options. You can buy Stonetooth Heart, Swiftcreek Heart, or Amulet of the Veteran. Take your pick, but my choice is Hunter's Guile with 2x Greater Health and a single Health. Stonetooth Heart is a close second choice because you can get some Physical Pen. Your build, your choice. Hunter's Guile has an amazing active that can get you out of stuns and such and will save your life.

Hunter's Guile - HealthGreater HealthGreater Health

OR

Stonetooth Heart - Dire PierceGreater HealthHealth

Lastly, you have a choice. You can end your build right here and be great. Smooth sailing godlike Sevarog with no weaknesses and plenty of damage. Or you can get some more damage and take it to another level. Now that you have Drink the Spirits and have all the harvesters up, you don't need your Oasis Key. Swap it out for an Adamant Edge or a Voidsteel Dagger. Your choice which way to go. My choice is Voidsteel Dagger + Hunter's Guile from the previous step but it's your choice.

Voidsteel Dagger - PiercePierceStrike

OR

Adamant Edge - HealthStrikeStrike

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Card Build

This is every card I use, all said and done. Mix and match, do whatever you want. This is my personal setup.

Harvester's KeyHealth PotionHunter's DrinkJungle DrinkJungle DrinkMana PotionStrike Token

Brawler's Ward - StrikeStrikeStrike

Oasis Key - Lesser DrainLesser DrainBeta Heal

Spiked Boneplate - Minor StrikeMinor StrikeMinor Guard

Bloodsoaked Armor - Major KineticGuardGuard

Thorned Greenweave - BarrierBarrierBarrier

Drink the Spirits - HealthHealthHealth

Hunter's Guile - HealthHealthHealth

Voidsteel Dagger - Dire PierceStrikeMinor Pierce

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Gameplay Guide

So you know how I titled this "Jungle Monster(rrrrrrrrr *echoes**dramatic music*)" and made it sound all bad-ass and untouchable? I lied.. Sorry. Truth is, there is no godlike build out there and every build has it's strengths and weaknesses. Here I want give my opinions on this build and how to get the most out of it. Please Help!! I'd love to get input in the comments. Not just for the guide's sake but my own sake (selfish I know). Criticism is welcome and requested. Give me your best shot.

*Important* Your first priority all game long, early game to late game is to steal souls. Pretend you're Kim K's booty and corrupt every soul you see. If you can't siphon your way to a MINIMUM of 40 stacks by the end of mid-game, you're doing it wrong.

Early Game

• Farm. Siphon. Red Buff > White Mob > White Mob > Harvester. Back to base. Blue Buff > White Mob > White Mob > Harvester > Harvester
• *Pay attention to your minimap*
• Every time the enemy pushes a tower you have to pop out and show yourself. The Oasis Key will go a long ways towards keeping your health up. A Full HP Sevarog with mediocre damage is far scarier than a half health Sevarog with over 9000 dpm. Even though your damage isn't top notch, you can combo your attacks and really help your teamates. Best case scenario, use your ultimate Colossal Blow to knock enemies onto your towers and erase them. In a pinch, use Subjugate to hold enemies in place and tank them so that your low health teammates can punish them. Weaker early game heroes like Sparrow and Murdoch are free kills if you can freeze them in place.
• The overall goal? Make the enemy team respect you. Even if you can't get a lot of kills, as long as you stay alive and lurking, the enemy team will respect you and can't be aggressive.
• Wards. Place Brawler's Ward in rotation heavy jungle paths. Help your lanes out! They're doing the heavy lifting, make sure you have their back.

Mid Game

• Farm. You can now move out of the jungle and push lanes, but your primary task is still Siphoning souls and leveling up.
• Harvest. Help your team by grabbing free CXP! Rotate between lanes often to help your team, terrify the enemy, and grab that free exp every time a harvester is full.
• Look for ganks. Now that you have Spiked Boneplate/Thorned Greenweave and extra Strike, be more aggressive and jump into the action. When you jump someone from behind with Subjugate the enemy will piss themself and try to run, no exceptions. Even against heroes who might win 1v1 with you, they first try to escape giving you free damage in the process. DON'T FIGHT FAIR.
• Look for last hits on enemy heroes. If you can use Siphon to kill a hero, you get more soul stacks than from minions.
• Late midgame you'll realize that you're a badass monster. Once you have Bloodsoaked Armor and Major Kinetic you'll suddenly be able to stand in on 1v1 fights with enemy DPS fighters like Kwang and win. Push up into the jungle. Steal some buffs, kill some harvesters. Be a nuisance.

Late Game

• Monster. Armor. Health. Damage. Regen. You haz it all. Be a beast, be aggressive. Push lanes, go 1 v 1 and 1 v 2. Go out in front of your teammates and make plays. At this point in the game you should have 50-60+ soul stacks and you no longer need the jungle. Jump in a lane > Push it all the way > Jump into another lane > Push. Win.
• The late game is where you come into your own and can really dominate team fights and 1 v 1 lane pushes. Minions will melt in front of you, towers will disappear in a few swings. You're now a monster.
• Help your team! You're still a tank and your teammates need you. Place Brawler's Ward and continue to use harvesters. You should be out front in any fight, soaking up damage and keeping your teamates alive.

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FAQ

Frequent questions that may appear while playing this build and your answers

Q: Shouldn't you have more damage at the start of the game?
A: Yes. It is what it is. More damage would be really nice but there just aren't enough card points.

Q: Is Tennessee better than Florida and Alabama?
A: Yes. Floridians and Bammers get out.

-go vols.